Church dedicated to peace between Eastern and Western Europe burns down to the ground

Church in the Olympic Park in Munich burnt down

Firefighters extinguish the fire at the East-West Peace Church in the Olympic Park.

The East-West Peace Church in the Olympic Park in Munich burnt down completely on Sunday night. Investigators suspect a technical defect in the electronics in the church as the cause, according to a police spokesperson.

During an inspection the morning after, arson investigators found no evidence of deliberate arson. The amount of damage could not be quantified because the intangible value was significantly higher than the actual value of the building, they said.

The chapel, also called the Church of Father Timofey, was a building erected by a Russian hermit himself in the 1950s. Inside the church were numerous icons.

According to the fire brigade, trees and a power line were also damaged in the fire. There were no casualties. In the early morning, the fire brigade extinguished the last embers.

According to the police spokesperson, the area where the building was located is freely accessible at all times. The summer festival "Tollwood" will take place there from 16 June to 16 July 2023.

They are very sorry that the East-West Peace Church has been destroyed, a spokeswoman for the festival said on Sunday. "This landmark has always belonged to the Olympic Park. We have a very close neighbourhood with the church." The festival is currently being set up.

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